The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1887-03-02

ihc matter OF SItel!US PIicrS sometimes
Il say, my dear fellow, You won'
mad eala3.ing down Oh the pariQr sot'
for Que nlshs, VII! yoU:" sa;d Gcrv&s
,7r.. drawing MS prospective brother-in
i.:w aside Il, hct: time approached. "Ac'
sec, .'rasc Bottom las r;cke:y ncrves-
mas; ha:c.:l room 20 himself, with n(
clock il i, three pillows pi assorted size!
under his head. and brandy and wate,
w;5,.ia easy reacn il case OF nightmare
Mother iooa.a blank rs 3 slate when sht
i.ard te Was here, but | told her wt
would abdicate IN his favor, that VIZ
could steep ike q roach in the bottom o.
Il pond, OF wicrcvcr she might put us.
Midnight &uG the dying tire saw the
pair stretched cut on d luxurious super
s:.uvtl.:e OF pillows and blankets, up
!a-rc "y broad iiaisc!oth sofas, one or
each SIDE ot the hearth. They hati beer
las; friends si;ice t:ieir freshman ,yea5' 81
lI&mpe,cn 5ss,2ey. Veteran cam2a:srer:
at % II Tie straits ard maAesitifts 0;
crowded cca2tGy aoUses, they accepted
the situation hilariou>iv, smoked Il lin.
sering cigar apiece after the candles
were cxtinguiSaed, The red tips winling
across the room at one another nnnl
sleep and silence settled upon the rest OF
the house. Gervas first gave token OF
drowsincss, his talk OF tine girls and
blooGcd horses running down lro;iy, the
pendulum tongue dropping words like
lazy secon;j V;ckS.
Not mose glorious pair OF eyes
this -silc-the Blue RIDGE he drawlcd.
'.Fnney'S going train er-f the course
next fall. Chcs'nt-bay-ore white
foot.
The auditor laughed silently, treasur-
ing up the enco2liuIa for elaboration and
repetition at the breakfast table. Raising
himself on his elbow to see If his COM
rade's cigar We're out, and that he had
not set fire to the sheets, he aimed the
stump OF his own toward the faint SHIN
rler IL the chimney, drew the blankets
up to his chin, and, with deep breath
Of satisfaction. settled into his dow1y
nest.
Tie rain was falling with Rhythmic
regularity on the porch roo;, . heavy
pour that beat down the wind. Suddenly
:. noise uutier the window awoAe him.
He recouected instantly where he was
auu why.
'.GervaS'' he whispered.
'Yes. l heard it. Hist" came back
in the sanlc key.
III.
The rus:lc Of the bed coverings as
they sal upright was audible in the dark
room. Some one was walking on the
porch with steps that Jagged ana quick
rned oddly. Sometimes they stopped
entirely while one might count ten Or
twenty. Tie Rhythmic patt2r Of the
falling floods accept:lateG by contrast
the uuevcnness OF the tranp, tramp,
from 2n,j to cad 0! the we: tico-. Sad
denly t:1e dragging feet halted Il tee
front .toor, locks ratified. hinges crea!ied;
;ae footsteps came stunn:lngly to the
threshold OF tie sirlw-ing room; q hand
f;imoic,i with the knob.
The friends heard each tie others
breath SHARPLY held, as the door swuug
back and somebody entered. There was
4 brici pause; TIE throbbing hearts Of
The listeners, themselves unseen in the
dense darkness as was tie intruder, out
beat the rainpo,r without 10 their
strained senses, each gathering himself
mp for spring SO soon as the trespasser
should strike light.
Instead OF this. he walked heavily but
steadily as il nerYcd by deliberate pur-
pose across the iioor to the corner where
stood the piano. There-they were as
sure OF ii as i they had seen the action
he dropped upon his knees. \ long,
broken sigh sluddered through the
gloom, az articulated sob burdened with
word they did not catch, bnt which
they believed was name, followed by a
horrid, sickening gurgle-a dull thud-a
hollow human groan!
The young men bounded from their
corches and groped in frenzied clumsi-
ness for matches The blue light snapped
fzzled, grew red, then clear.
"Ihe candie." gasped GerTas, shaking
as with palsy.
As the WICK caught, they turned for
tue first time IL the direction from which
the horror had leaped upon them. The
cover OF the closed piano was smooth;
chairs, foot stool and q lamp stand
were as they had left them on going to
bed. There was no PROSTATE figure or
other sign Of the nocturnal visitation.
Avoiding one another's eyes as il the
abashmcnt of guilt they explored the
room and halI with lights. The polished
iioor Of tie Latter was dry and clean, the
outer door locked and barred.
':Iet l could nave sworn that LIS
boots were soaked with wet, whispered
Gervas, iearfuliy. "They had the sodden
soand OF muddy solcs.
With the same queer, cowed dread OF
they knew not what upon them, they
stole back on tiptoe to the drawing
room, made up the fire, and sitting by
It smoked and talked until the dim day
light Of a wild, rainy morning sid IL Al
the windows.
In all these hours OF agitated confer,
ence they arrived at bat one conclusion.
The awful secret should be kept until
such time as they could furnish solu
ton Of tie mystery. To delicate womeI
ana superstitious servants Round Hill
would be iEtolerable We're they to sus
pcct who staiked, visible and invisible:
through the house at his own evil viii.
".
Shy had been Mrs. Speed for Il yea.
when her husband received letter iron
her brother, addressed 10 his Office an,
marked Confidential. .
II l,.ve fonud I kev that lis tht